Campaigners Demand Action on Denbighshire’s Beach Accessibility

A community-led accessibility campaign led by TCC (Trefnu Cymunedol Cymru/Together Creating Communities) is calling on Denbighshire County Council to take urgent action after nearly five months without a response following a formal meeting and subsequent correspondence.
The group, made up of TCC, The FDF Centre for Independent Living, disabled residents and accessibility advocates, met with Council representatives in October 2025 to discuss long-standing issues affecting wheelchair users along the Prestatyn and Rhyl coastline. Further detailed follow-up emails- have been sent; however, no reply has been received.
With spring approaching and visitor numbers expected to rise, campaigners say the continued silence is “deeply disappointing” and leaves disabled residents and visitors “once again facing the prospect of an inaccessible seafront.”

Key Issues Raised with the Council
The campaign seeks progress on three urgent priorities:

Beach Wheelchairs – Transparency and Availability
The group has requested clear information on:

• How many beach wheelchairs the Council owns
• Their current condition
• Whether unused wheelchairs stored at the RNLI building can be brought back into service
• Potential new accessible locations for the chairs, such as the Nova Centre or central Rhyl
• The recently completed coastal sea defence scheme has included additional access ramps onto the beach, however it still remains inaccessible for wheelchair users, people using mobility aids.
  

To date, no answers have been provided.

Safe, reliable wheelchair access to the promenade
Campaigners have identified five areas where sand build-up or lack of maintenance makes access unsafe or impossible:

1. Ramp behind Red Boat Café (Prestatyn)
2. Ramp by the Beaches Hotel (Prestatyn)
3. Frith Community Park access point
4. Accessible toilet adjacent to the Nova – blocked by sand
5. Old Golf Road public toilets (Rhyl) – access blocked from the promenade

Despite raising these concerns in October, there has been no update on whether the Council intends to review or address them.

Clear accessibility information on Denbighshire Council’s website
At the October meeting, the Council agreed in principle to explore creating a dedicated accessibility section on its website.
Campaigners are seeking confirmation that this work is underway and clarity on thetimelines.
No information has been provided by the Council.

Why This Matters
A spokesperson for the campaign said:
“Jan Thomas from The FDF Centre for Independent Living said “We want to work constructively with the Council to improve access for everyone, but months of silence are making that extremely difficult.
With Easter and warmer weather fast approaching, disabled residents and visitors still do not know whether safe access or functioning beach wheelchairs will be available.”
Karen Beattie a wheelchair user, local resident and member of this campaign group emphasised that equal access to the coastal infrastructure is not a luxury but a basic requirement to make it inclusive under Equality legislation.
David Hughes, TCC Community Organiser at TCC said “We bring people together to take action on the issues that matter most to them. Community organising is about building relationships, developing local leaders, and making sure every voice is heard. Accessibility is a key part of that. Wheelchair users and people with mobility needs must be able to enjoy the same public spaces as everyone else. We’ve asked Denbighshire County Council to respond to our concerns, and we look forward to working with them to make real progress. When communities speak up together, real change becomes possible.”

Next Steps
Due to the lack of progress, the group is now:

• Issuing this public statement to raise awareness
• Contacting Members of the Senedd (MSs) and Members of Parliament (MPs) for support

Notes to the Editor:   

Members – We are a diverse alliance with around 40 member groups and community organisations, including: community groups, faith groups, and schools from across Wrexham, Flintshire, and Denbighshire. 

Any of our members can raise an issue for TCC to work on—so our members set our agenda.

We train people from our member groups to take action for themselves. This means they have the skills and confidence to approach people in power and get them to make a decision which will benefit the local community. 

TCC Member Groups
Art and Soul Tribe, Caia Park Partnership, Capel y Groes, Clwyd City of Sanctuary, Flintshire Do-It, The FDF, Llangollen Foodshare, Outside Lives, Paallam Arts, Penycae Neighbourhood Church of the Nazarene, Wrexham Methodist Church, St Andrew’s Methodist Church, St Joseph’s Anglican and Catholic School, St Mary’s Cathedral Wrexham, Transition Holywell, Trinity Presbyterian, We Are Plas Madoc, Wheelieability Rhyl, Wrexham Community Gardeners, Wrexham Mission Area, Wrexham Muslim Association, Wrexham Quakers, XR Wrexham/Denbigh, Y Ty Gwyrdd Denbigh, BAWSO, St Asaph Engagement Steering Group, Peace and Justice Centre, UareUK, Advanced Brighter Futures. St Francis of Assissi Catholic Church, ReSource CIC, Voicebox Wrexham, North East Wales Mind Our Futures